EU lost ability to make decisions on conflict with Russia independently of Kiev — lawmaker

Detailed summary

This will put the future EU negotiator in an extremely difficult position, European Parliament member Fernand Kartheiser said

BRUSSELS, November 13. /TASS/. Internal divisions have deprived the European Union of its ability to make its own decisions on the conflict with Russia independently of Kiev’s position. This will put the future EU negotiator in an extremely difficult position, European Parliament member Fernand Kartheiser told TASS.

Ahead of Friday’s EU summit in Dublin, the lawmaker named European Council President Antonio Costa as the most likely candidate to serve as the bloc’s negotiator, adding that he "may be reinforced by a group of advisers."

"I note, however, that [Vladimir] wants to have his say and claims the right to approve or disapprove the European Council’s choice. This fact alone shows that the EU has lost all autonomy vis-à-vis Ukraine," he said.

Kartheiser described the task facing the future European negotiator as "extremely difficult." "He will have no flexibility, no clear mandate, and neither authority nor autonomy. I expect the US and Russia to understand this perfectly well and to treat him accordingly – which is once again not good for the EU as an international actor," he said.

Kartheiser earlier noted that divisions within the EU had already become multi-layered. The fault lines run between EU institutions and European capitals, among the bloc’s member states, and between political elites and the public. According to him, this makes it impossible to reach complex compromise decisions, including formulating an independent negotiating position on the conflict in Ukraine. In this situation, the EU can preserve its unity only by taking the simplest route and simply repeating Kiev’s position.

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